Plastic cover for use with bottom feed machines



V. E. CRISCI July 4, 1967 PLASTIC COVER FOR USE WITH BOTTOM FEED MACHINES Filed May 24, 1965 INVENTOR. VICTOR E. CRVISCI BY2V AIIQRNE)? United States Patent Ofi ice- 3,329,305 Patented July 4, 1967 3,329,305 PLASTIC COVER FOR USE WITH BOTTOM FEED MACHINES Victor E. Crisci, Leominster, Mass, assignor to Mammoth Plastics, Inc., Leorninster, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 24, 1965, Ser. No. 458,311

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-60) I This invention relates to a new plastic cover for plastic containers of the flush-fill type. In particular, it relates to such covers adapted for use with an automatic filling machine of the bottom feed type wherein a transversely moving arm or shuflie fed pushes the cover out from the bottom of the stack of covers.

Plastic flush-fill containers generally have a bead at the top edge or rim for engaging the cover and can be thus filled up to the top or flush. Covers for such containers are generally fed from stacks in automatic coverdispensing machines. Such machines have hitherto in volved the use of a vacuum feed whereby the covers are sucked up from the top of a stack. However, it has been found that such covers as have been previously described are not suitable for use with the newer so-called shuffle feed machines where a transversely moving arm pushes a cover out from the bottom of a stack of covers.

One object of this invention is to provide a plastic cover for flush-fill containers which can be suitably nested in an automatic cover-dispensing machine and yet be suitable for bottom feeding.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and claim which follow and from the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a median vertical sectional view of a flush-fill plastic container having a circular opening, a slight body taper, and a top bead at the rim.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plastic cover made in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a section along line '33 of FIG. 2.

The invention comprises generally a flexible molded plastic cover having a flat horizontal body portion terminating in a circumferential downwardly directed vertical wall. The wall has a partial inwardly directed thickening so as to form an inner bead for engagement of the bead on the rim of the container. The bottom of the depending wall has a horizontally extending protrusion on which are spaced a plurality of vertical ribs extending along the side wall to approximately the level of the outside horizontal surface of the top. Mounted approximately circumferentially on the top horizontal body portion is a vertical ridge.

Referring now to the drawings the flush-fill circular opening container 11 has a top head 12 at its rim. The cover illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 has a flat horizontal body portion 14 terminating in a depending circumferential vertical side wall 18. The wall 18 has an inwardly directed thickened portion 16 which forms a bead and pocket 20 for engagement with the bead 12. Below bead 16 the wall terminates in a horizontal flange 17. Extending on the flange 17 circumferentially around the Wall are a plurality of spaced ribs 15 whose height is approximately that of the horizontal body portion 14. Mounted on the horizontal body portion 14 is a circumferential ridge 19.

I have found that covers made in accordance with this invention can be stacked and maintained in proper nested condition in :a bottom feed automatic cover-dispensing machine and yet permit ready feeding without jamming. Various common plastic materials can be used to make the covers of this invention, as for example, polystyrene or polyethylene. However, the materials of construction are not limited to such plastic. The covers of this invention are preferably made by injection molding although they can be made by other processes.

I claim:

A flexible cover for use with a container having a bead at its top rim, comprising a substantially flat, circular horizontal body portion terminating in a circumferential downwardly directed vertical wall and having a substantially circumferential upwardly directed ridge; the inner portion of said wall being thickened to provide a circumferential bead engage-able with said container bead and terminating in an outwardly extending portion; a plurality of spaced vertical protrusions being provided which extend from said terminal portion along the outside of said wall to approximately the level of the body portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1965 Goldsmith 220 4/ 1965 Crisci 220-60 

